The Official Authors' Hangout Winter Holidays 2025 Support Thread

[talemestories]

Dude, you are overthinking. I have submitted some crap in my time. It's still there and people are still reading ir. Poor souls. LOL

I treat everything here on LIT as writing exercises and the readers are my personal guinea pigs. Or victims. LOL (not really, but thinking like that makes it easier to post anything). The only way you get better is to write and put it out there, take the slings and arrows of outraged comments, and do it again. It's a good way to prepare yourself for Amazon. LOL. Personally I'd say you put the work in, it was something you wanted to write, put it in and just start work on the next one! And you still have a week or so to do some editing and tweaking - heck, I'm still writing mine.

DEFCOM5, I'm in this camp as well. I write to amuse myself most of the time unless I am focused on a contest where I have something specific I want to create.

Crank it out, wait for the 'helpful' comments that may provide insight you haven't considered before, and move to the next piece.

I think the thing that helped me most of all over the years was putting stuff out, looking at it, saying, WTF was I thinking, then doing something better after.

As I explore new categories away from the low hanging fruit, it helps me write in the categories I do enjoy. For example, next year, I am going to push my own limits and do the Survivor series just to see what I can come up with both in volume and quality for categories I normally wouldn't focus on.

I am looking forward to Erotic Horror next year to cast some of my commenters after reading ChloeTzang's comment of 'and the readers are my personal guinea pigs. Or victims. LOL (not really, but thinking like that makes it easier to post anything)'. Hahaha.

 

[Lord_Libido]

@Duleigh,
If the first beta reader tells you that the story does not work and the second tells you that they wanted to stop reading halfway through the store but forced themselves to finish, the story is not good enough

I respect the two readers opinions. I have not any illusion that I could win a writing concept. One thing I learned in my life is that I am not a winner. And it is not because I quit.

I hear you but I doubt I would get followers if I publish things that the readers will drop halfway through the story or before that. The thing is that I really thought that the story was great. I love my MCs. But my eyes were opened. It a pile of smelling dung (my own words, not their. The opposite. My beta readers were gentle).

They offered to do the spelling / grammar if I wanted to publish.
I cannot publish what I think will be poorly received at best and hated at worst. Probably ignored or 1 bombed just for fun.

I really appreciate you trying to remotivate me. I really do.

But right now I am hurting and I need to take a step back and regroup and decide if I can/want to do this. I need to think that people might want to read what I write. Right not, I do not believe it.

I do not want to highjack this thread or go "Poor DEFCOM5, let's prop him up". This is not a drama. This is a first world problem.

I felt that I owed you and @ChloeTzang an explanation because you were so supportive. I really appreciated your efforts.

Again, best of luck to all the contestants!

My worst story is at a 3.33, it's not "bad" enough to get any hate readers or comments. I want more hate readers. Or atleast people motivated enough to say something about my writing. My 19 stories rated 4 and above aren't attracting very much attention so I don't think quality is going to help you. The attention you're getting on this thread right now will help you and your stories more than anything else.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

DEFCOM5, I'm in this camp as well. I write to amuse myself most of the time unless I am focused on a contest where I have something specific I want to create.

Crank it out, wait for the 'helpful' comments that may provide insight you haven't considered before, and move to the next piece.

I think the thing that helped me most of all over the years was putting stuff out, looking at it, saying, WTF was I thinking, then doing something better after.

As I explore new categories away from the low hanging fruit, it helps me write in the categories I do enjoy. For example, next year, I am going to push my own limits and do the Survivor series just to see what I can come up with both in volume and quality for categories I normally wouldn't focus on.

I am looking forward to Erotic Horror next year to cast some of my commenters after reading ChloeTzang's comment of 'and the readers are my personal guinea pigs. Or victims. LOL (not really, but thinking like that makes it easier to post anything)'. Hahaha.

Okay, I give up on finding it - I bet I'm looking right at it somewhere and just missing it. What is this mythic survivor series everyone keeps talking about?

 

[YmaOHyd]

Okay, I give up on finding it - I bet I'm looking right at it somewhere and just missing it. What is this mythic survivor series everyone keeps talking about?

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/survivor-25-rules-and-registration-thread-read-first.1625487/

It's in the pinned author-organized challenges thread.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

https://forum.literotica.com/threads/survivor-25-rules-and-registration-thread-read-first.1625487/

It's in the pinned author-organized challenges thread.

I knew it was somewhere I should have seen it but wasn't. Thank you!

 

[DEFCOM5]

@ChloeTzang, @talemestories , @Lord_Libido,

Thank you for the encouragements. I really appreciated them.
They are a balm helping with the hurt.
I have shelved the story. Maybe I will look at it later, maybe never.
Right now, I need to take a step back from writing.

I want to thank for trying to help me and encourage me to continue writing. It helps a lot. I am not ready.

 

[NaughteeDragon]

It’s the little things that make me happy when a new story drops.

 

[RoyalAuthor]

@DEFCOM5 Would you like another set of eyes? I don't want to say there's no such thing as a bad story, but that doesn't mean there aren't some minor changes you could make that would make it a good story. If you're interested in some constructive criticism, I'd be happy to help you identify why your beta readers weren't thrilled with it so you can improve it, or just yourself as a writer. Let me know, happy to help.

 

[RoyalAuthor]

So, we're a week deep. What are everyone's favorite stories in the contest so far (besides their own, obviously)? If you had to recommend someone else's story to the other authors here, whose would you pick?

I'm a big fan of Gifted Student by @Ian_Snow and Snow Fall in Love by @iwatchus

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

So, we're a week deep. What are everyone's favorite stories in the contest so far (besides their own, obviously)? If you had to recommend someone else's story to the other authors here, whose would you pick?

I'm a big fan of Gifted Student by @Ian_Snow and Snow Fall in Love by @iwatchus

Yours. I have yet to read one I love more than yours.

So here's my plug again for The Velvet Ribbon!

 

[NaughteeDragon]

Right now my leaders are Milk From Cookies and Snowfall in Love, even though I almost stopped reading in the first thousand words. The FMC starts as such a bitch it reminded me of being stuck in the car with my wife when she’s feeling bitchy. It gives her lots of room to grow, and it takes talent to evoke that kind of visceral response.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

Right now my leaders are Milk From Cookies and Snowfall in Love, even though I almost stopped reading in the first thousand words. The FMC starts as such a bitch it reminded me of being stuck in the car with my wife when she’s feeling bitchy. It gives her lots of room to grow, and it takes talent to evoke that kind of visceral response.

I just...okay, I'm going to have to explain to my husband why I am crying now. My score dropped so much last night I just figured having any sort of good rating was a fluke (which is fine, I didn't expect to stay highly rated in a contest with this many great names and writers) and so just to be on anyone's top list is just....wow.

 

[old_prof]

I'm going to put my vote in for Language Exchange. Read it if you haven't yet.

 

[DEFCOM5]

@DEFCOM5 Would you like another set of eyes? I don't want to say there's no such thing as a bad story, but that doesn't mean there aren't some minor changes you could make that would make it a good story. If you're interested in some constructive criticism, I'd be happy to help you identify why your beta readers weren't thrilled with it so you can improve it, or just yourself as a writer. Let me know, happy to help.

Thank you for the offer but I have shelved the story.
I don't think I could handle someone else telling him that they could not go through the story.
Maybe I will go back to it one day and might take you on your offer.

 

[Actingup]

I'm going to put my vote in for Language Exchange. Read it if you haven't yet.

Your command is my wish. I just did - it’s terrific.

 

[Class37]

Submit a story, it gets sent back due to poor spelling,layout and grammer.

Read it through and agree with that, it did need tidying up.

Spend many hours making sure the spelling,layout and grammar are perfect.

Story gets sent back because they think it's Ai.

 

[SamanthaBehgs]

Your command is my wish.

Please tell me you've used this in a D/s story somewhere. It just SCREAMS for inclusion in such a story.

 

[talemestories]

@ChloeTzang, @talemestories , @Lord_Libido,

I am not ready.

Then write something else and come back to it.

 

[RoyalAuthor]

Yours. I have yet to read one I love more than yours.

So here's my plug again for The Velvet Ribbon!

Thanks so much! I really enjoyed yours as well!

 

[Lord_Libido]

I just...okay, I'm going to have to explain to my husband why I am crying now. My score dropped so much last night I just figured having any sort of good rating was a fluke (which is fine, I didn't expect to stay highly rated in a contest with this many great names and writers) and so just to be on anyone's top list is just....wow.

Your story is good. Makes me...thirsty

 

[Actingup]

Please tell me you've used this in a D/s story somewhere. It just SCREAMS for inclusion in such a story.

I haven't tried to write one of those yet, but I'll work up to it. I've been tackling safe topics like incest, post-traumatic stress, choral singing, and world peace (and.... coming soon with @PennyThompson.... the most daring story yet... 18th century philosophy in Loving Wives!)

 

[Ian_Snow]

Right now my leaders are Milk From Cookies and Snowfall in Love, even though I almost stopped reading in the first thousand words. The FMC starts as such a bitch it reminded me of being stuck in the car with my wife when she’s feeling bitchy. It gives her lots of room to grow, and it takes talent to evoke that kind of visceral response.

Just read Snowfall in Love this morning and that's really a great story too. Lot of good ones this year.

 

[Kumquatqueen]

I've submitted mine, called 'Last Christmas'. It didn't really fit any category well, so it's gone in BDSM.

 

[talemestories]

I just put up another one. After I wrote the last one, the concept of using a song really appealed to me so the idea came to fruition. Hope to see it posted in a couple of days.

First crack at a romance as well though I'd say most of my stories have a romantic twist of sorts, I suppose.

 

[talemestories]

I haven't tried to write one of those yet, but I'll work up to it. I've been tackling safe topics like incest, post-traumatic stress, choral singing, and world peace (and.... coming soon with @PennyThompson.... the most daring story yet... 18th century philosophy in Loving Wives!)

This sound very cool actually.

A Marvel 1776 cum Loving Wives story perhaps?

Or perhaps, "I Just Kant Control Myself"?